Metallic packing



H. N. COMINS METALLIC PACKING Filed Aug. 3, 1936 1 rm u 1w. m0 w 4.. wu y m o ,f s IVE 0 8 3 2 1 1 :I @77% 1 z 1 mvwn/ 4 n 3 NIL //n /.Mu\m\ :E521: y, 6 N 6 Sept. 27, 1938.

Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITED lSTATES .PATIENT OFFICE,

n METALuo PACKING Y Harold N. CQmnaKWakefieldiMass. Application August 3, 193e, serial No. 93,966 Y l 4`c1aims. (CI. 286-31) This invention relates to improvements in metallic packings.

Metallic packings have been used for a long time and their characteristics make their use particularly desirable under certain conditions, A

typical example of these is the desirability of providing a packing effective to seal a moving element which enters a space, leakage from which or to which is sought to be avoided. My invention is directed towards the provision of a packing that will be eiective for all purposes and particularly in installations where considerable pressures are present.

In accordance with my invention, I utilize thin l5 spring steel discs of conic section. There are two sets of these discs, one setrof which has an inside diameter equal to the diameter of the shaft or like object to be packed while the other set is shaped to t the interior Y01E the packing box.

These sets of discs overlap and are slotted to permit their compression to establish a spring pressure contact with the shaft and with the packing box. Discs of each set are alternately used to provide a suitable packing effective to meet 'the 2:, requirements of particular installations.

The sets of discs are coated with a suitable relatively heavy lubricant and the external and internal annular spaces dened by the assembled discs are lled with that lubricant. The disposition of the discs and the blocking of Athe'passages orA slots connecting'the annular spaces pres-ent one of the important features of my invention.

' I contemplate a packing in which pressures are resisted by the lubricant confined in the annular 35 spaces by restricted connecting passages so that my packing may be made elective to overcome the pressures present in diierent installations by increasing the length of the pressure resisting seal by employing a desired number of discs.

4;) In the accompanying drawing I have shown suggested embodiments of vmy invention from which the above mentioned and'other advantages of my invention may be readily Vappreciated and utilized by those skilled in the art.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a sectional side view 'of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of my invention in crosssection along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in aV View similar to Fig. 1 a modl- `l) ed embodiment, and

Fig. 4 is an exaggerated View of a form of washer and gland construction to be used with the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 1.

I have shown at I a packing box to which the gland 2 is secured by bolts 3. The packing box I and the gland 2 are apertured to receive the shaft, rod, or the like, indicated at 4. l l

My packing consists of a plurality of thin disc members 6 and 'I of spring steel. The discs 5 have an inside diameter equal to the diameter lof ithe c5 shaft 4 and an outside diameter less than than of the packing box I. The discs 'I are 'formed to fit the packingv box, but have an inside diameter larger than the diameter of the shaft 4.

The discs 5 and the discs 1 are used in pairs 10 and preferably are so disposed that a pair of discs 6 are alternated with aA pair of discs 'l in establishing an adequate packing as is suggested in Fig. l having external annular spaces 8V and internal annular spaces 9.

The discs 6 and 'I are shaped as (ionic-sections and when assembled are adapted to be compressed as the gland 2 is drawn into contact therewith. Each of the Ydiscs 6 and 'l is slottedasat IIl to permit its compression Whichnecessitates 20 the use of the discs in pairs with the slots I!! of each pair separated by 180 preferably to block the annular spaces 8` and S and to'makemore uniform the pressure against the shaft andpacking box. Studs or projections Il are provided on .25

certain of the discs to enter the slots I Il of its complementary disc-rand the aligned' slo't'lllof 'a disc in the next` pair of discs.` On compression,

the spring t of each disc E and 'l to the shaft and the packing box respectively is'tightened. The 3&0 slot Iii of the disc 6 tends to spread at its outer end while the slots I0 of the discs 'l tend to kcontract near their inner ends. 'As the studs Il are utilized to lock the-pairs of discs together and to block the flowfof lubricant through the slots, the i. studs I I are positioned substantially midway between the shaft 4 and the box I and clearances are established to permit the above mentioned expansion and contraction'of the slots as the discs@ and 'I are compressed. `40 'Ihe discs which I use are thinandfare shown as much enlarged in order to clarify` their structural `details Vand any clearances will be very close. The number of pairs of the .discs 6 and "l used varies with the nature of theY member packed 45 and its use. For example, .more pairs of discs'V 6 and I are employed with increase in pressure yi'actors. i g i' 'When my packing iis installed,A the discsf are coated .andthe annular spaces are filled With..50 graphite or other suitable relatively heavy lubricant. Repacking when necessary may be accomplished bykdissembling the packing or grease ntting may be utilized to permit the packing to be added without removing the metallic members or discs. It will be apparentthat as the gland 2 is tightened, the discs 6 and 1 vvill be flattened until their tted diameters are urged into desired spring pressure contact with the shaft 4 and the packing box I respectively. This involves a sliding of the discs and a resultant reduction in the size of the annular spaces 8 and 9 so that the lubricant is forced to fill all the voids. The slots III effect a continuous passage from one annular space to the other, and are alternately on opposite sides. The slots I0 are blocked by the studs II leaving extremely restricted passages so that pressures, in packings composed of sufficient discs, are effectively resisted.

In certain instances, such, for example, as high speed shafts that are continuously operated, it may be desired to negative the possibility of the shaft being ringed by the contact o-f the discs B. As suggested in Fig. 4, this may be effected by utilizing a Washer member I2 and a gland 2a shaped to cause an operative position of the packing in which the shaft 4 Will be continuously Wiped by the pairs of discs, preventing uneven Wear. The Washer member I2 is properly positioned relative to the gland by a stud I3 entering a recess I 4 in the bottom of the packing box 2.

The embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 3 is particularly adapted for use with larger shafts or the like. In this embodiment, a more expensive construction is used in that springs I6 and I'I, presenting a sectional similarity to the discs 6 and 'I, are used. The spring I6 has an Y inside diameter the same as the diameter of the shaft 4 and an outside diameter somewhat less than the inside diameter of the packing box I. The spring I'I has an outside diameter the same as the inside diameter of the packing box and an inside diameter larger thanthe diameter of the shaft 4.

The spring I'I may be skived if desired While the spring I6 is skived at I8 to permit a continuous contact of the spring I6 against the bottom of the stuffing box I when the gland 2 compresses the springs I6 and I'I so that the spaces I9 and 20 which result when the springs I6 and I'I are positioned together will be blocked. The springs I6 and II are of slightly different length, the spring rII being longer to contact the bottom of the packing box so that its skived end makes an annular contact With the bottom of the stufling box I effectively blocking the spaces I9 and ZIJ. The spring I'I is also skived partially blocking the space 20.

At 2| I have shown a slotted interlock of the springs IS and II at their upper ends which permits lateral relativeV movement of the springs I 6 and I'Iwhen compressed.

The springs I6 and I'I are coated and the spaces I9 and 20 are lled with suitable lubricant which blocks any leakage beyond the end of theV gland, a pair of overlapping members each of hard, thin, sheet spring metal of conic flattenable cross section having a central opening to accommodate the shaft, one of said members `eter corresponding substantially to the internal diameter of said packing box and its inside diameter substantially greater than the diameter of said shaft, said members being positioned in said packing box so that When the gland is tightened said members are attened. to effect an increase in the outside diameter of the first member and a decrease in the inside diameter of said second member, and a decrease in the inside diameter of said first member, and an increase in the diameter of said second member to establish a spring pressure contact with said shaft and said packing box respectively.

2. In a packing adapted to be positioned in a packing box fora shaft or the like, two sets of pairs of discs, each of said discs being of spring steel and of conic section, the discs of one set having their normal inside diameter not less than the diameter of said shaft and their outside diameter substantially less than that of the packing box and the discs of the other set having an inside diameter substantially greater than that of the shaft and an outside diameter not greater than the inside diameter of said box to present on assembly a plurality of internal and external annular grooves for a lubricant, each of said discs being slotted to permit compression thereof,fsaid discs in said pairs being disposed so that the slots thereof are not in alignment and common means for holding said discs in that position in desired relationship to another pair of discs and retarding the flow of lubricant between an external and an internal groove through said slots.

3. In a packing adapted to be positioned in a packing box for a shaft or the like, two sets of pairs of discs, each of said discs being of spring steel and of conic section, the discs of one set having their normal inside diameter not less than the diameter of said shaft and their outside diameter substantially less than that of the packing box, and the discs of the other set having an inside diameter substantially greater than that of the shaft, and an outside diameter not greater than the inside diameter of said box to present on assembly a plurality of internal and external annular grooves for a lubricant to permit under compression an increase in the outside diameter ofthe discs of said rst set, and. a decrease in the inside diameter of the discs of said second set Without contact With said packing box and said shaft respectively, and a spring pressure contact of said first set of discs with said shaft and a spring pressure contact of said second set of discs with said packing box maintainable during Wear by further compression of said discs.

4. In a packing as claimed in claim 1 in Which the overlapping members are spiral springs of conic section threaded one Within the other.

HAROLD N. COMINS. 

